Mother of young overdose victim challenges Premier Daniel Andrews to address deadly heroin scourge

THE mother of a young man who died alone of a heroin overdose in a Melbourne alley has made an impassioned plea to the Premier to allow a safe injecting room.

THE mother of a young man who died alone in an alley from a heroin overdose has made an impassioned plea to Premier Daniel Andrews to show leadership and save lives.

Loretta Gabriel said the death of son Sam O’Donnell, just 27, should not be in vain.

The Barwon Heads mother said a medically supervised injecting room would save addicts’ lives.

“Letting them die is not a law-and-order issue. Letting them die in the street, in a filthy gutter, which is literally where my son died, is not going to make anyone safer,” Ms Gabriel said.

“This is the most inhumane, institutionalised brutality.’’

A man uses a needle near the North Richmond public housing towers. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

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Ms Gabriel said it was a disgrace that drug users were dying in the street, and challenged the Premier to act.

“He has an opportunity to show leadership. He can be known as the premier of Victoria who saved at least 190 lives a year through the introduction of a humane medically supervised injecting centre.’’

Mr Andrews has resisted calls for a safe injecting room in Richmond, despite lobbying for a trial from residents, traders, outreach workers, experts and the local Yarra council.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said no to safe injection rooms.

Mr Andrews has said he would await the outcome of the parliamentary inquiry on drug law reform.

Ms Gabriel said her son’s drug abuse had been a repercussion of sexual abuse he suffered as a young boy.

“I only found out when he was 21, and it explains why he was such a mess,’’ she said.

Mr O’Donnell died in an Abbotsford laneway off Victoria St that is notorious for drug taking.

Ms Gabriel said her son used heroin to cope with the misery of his life.

“I have spent over 10 years in a state of complete terror knowing that if he goes to use heroin, it’s going to be a dirty car park or a dirty alleyway, some public toilet, and is anyone going to find his body if he overdoses.

Sam O'Donnell died of a heroin overdose in a Melbourne alley. Picture: Supplied

“And my worst nightmare came true. My worst nightmare was the night the police shining torches in my window and incessantly ringing the doorbell trying to wake me up from a deep sleep to tell me my son was dead.’’

Coroner Gregory McNamara, who investigated his death, echoed statements earlier this year by coroners Jacqui Hawkins and Audrey Jamieson calling for a supervised injecting room to be opened in North Richmond.

Mr McNamara found Mr O’Donnell, who had tried detoxification several times, died less than nine hours after being released from a private mental health hospital at Geelong.

A passer-by found him in an alley off Little Lithgow St, unresponsive and with a syringe in his hand. Emergency services arrived four minutes later but he was pronounced dead at 5.38pm.

This public toilet at the corner of Lithgow and Victoria Sts, Abbotsford, is known by residents as the area’s “unsafe injection room”. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The coroner said the evidence pointed to his death being the result of an accidental overdose from mixed drug toxicity, including heroin.

A Yarra council worker picks up drug debris in a laneway off Little Lithgow St, Abbotsford. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Mr O’Donnell had tried detoxification several times. He was admitted to The Geelong Clinic for treatment on June 24 and was released at 8.45am on August 11 with the intention to seek admission to The Buttery rehab clinic in northern New South Wales.

The state Opposition also opposes safe injection rooms. Last week mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said Victorians did not want “government-sanctioned drug ghettos popping up around our suburbs”.

A cheap and plentiful supply of heroin has seen its use in the neighbourhood soar.

Heroin abuse killed 190 Victorians last year; 34 died within two streets of Victoria St.

@IanRoyall